Late onset ventilator-associated pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter spp.: experience with tigecycline.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical success rate of 73 patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR)-Acinetobacter spp. treated with tigecycline in seven intensive Care Units in Argentina and to determine which predictor variables were significant in this context. Clinical success in our patients was 69.86% (Ci= 58.65-81.07%) 51/73, without significant differences between patients with VAP due to MDR-Acinetobacter spp. carbapenem-susceptible or carbapenem-resistant and only susceptible to colistin, minocyline and tigecycline (70% 44/73 vs. 69% 29/73 respectively, p=0.9006), and between patients who received <48h of prior antibiotics (including those who did not receive any) and those who received >48h of prior antibiotics (73.3% 22/30 vs 67.4% 29/43 respectively, p=0.7791). Age >67 and using other method than BAL for respiratory sampling were identified as predicting variables for negative clinical outcome. Our results suggest that tigecycline may be an acceptable alternative for therapy in patients with VAP caused by MDR-Acinetobacter spp. Nevertheless, only controlled clinical trials will provide the evidence to support approval for new indications.